Who Shot Him?

Who exactly shot J.R. Ewing? Many people may not remember the name of the woman who shot J.R., but they certainly remember that it happened on the show, DALLAS.That is where you will find me this weekend and this where many of the exterior shots of DALLAS happened. This is the set used for the show DALLAS. It is South Fork Ranch, home to J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman) and his family, including his super adorable brother Bobby, played by Patrick Duffy. Dallas, Texas, is yet one more city on my list that I call home. I once worked for the NBC station here and at that time I must admit that it was not one of my favorite cities, but I have found a new appreciation for the Big D. I especially appreciate it on the cold days in Chicago when Cory & I can hop a plane for our Dallas residence. The city is growing by leaps and bounds and is nearly unrecognizable compared to when I lived here the first time. On the South Fork Ranch you get insider secrets about the show that had America and countries around the world captivated. The Ranch is preparing for a reunion BBQ with the cast of DALLAS here in November. It’s time for us to chow down on some Texas chili with some sweet tea at the Miss Ellie cafe. Tell me if you remember WHO SHOT J.R.?

The Old Line State

Maryland my Maryland. What an amazing state. Of course, I am biased since MD, DC & VA have all been home for me. The great thing about the state just below the Mason-Dixon line is that you can go from the beach to the mountains in just a few hours. That is why it is so exciting when we go home for a visit. This time I walked away with some additions (lots of fleece) for my winter wardrobe from my Calvert School. Everyone in the family purchased a few Calvert items, so our desks will be filled with pennants, mugs, books and mouse pads, while our closets will be graced with shirts, fleece pull-overs and hats. Annapolis, our capital, is one of the best places to go in Maryland. My sister, LeAnita, and I spent the day there walking around the state capitol building and through all of the historic neighborhoods. During our walk we met a lot of people, including two presidential candidates and an adorable little dog named Schatze, who had the cutest personality. I wanted to scoop her up and take her home with me. The NAVY Academy has a beautiful dome on their chapel that lights up at night. And needless to say, there are some beautiful historic homes and Bed & Breakfasts to see too. At the end of the day, we dined on crabs (of course) and ended our evening with a small concert by actor Terrence Howard, who made his musical debut in Maryland’s capital city. Terrence was supposed to sign autographs after his show, but he quietly left the building, leaving 50-60 fans in a lurch, waiting for him for about an hour.

Le Marais, sil vous plait!

J’aime Paris. It is one of my favorite places on earth. I really enjoyed spending much of our time in Le Marais. It is filled with some amazing restaurants, including the Falafel Palace, where you can get a traditional Israeli meal for a great deal. There is no better place to be Jewish in Paris than in Le Marais. Aside from the fact that Goldenberg’s deli was closed (major disappointment), there were many great Jewish delis to choose from. Challah was abundant in the bakery windows just days before Shabbat. Most of the signs were written in both Hebrew & French, making the ultimate convergence of my two favorite languages. If I decide to finally move to Paris, rather than just saying that I will , you will certainly find me smack dab in the middle of Le Marais.

A night in the Mediterranean-in my kind of town

I, of course, have an affinity for my hometown of Washington, D.C., but anyone can tell you that I consider NYC to be my personal “mecca”. My other “kind of town” as Sinatra would say, is the fun-filled Windy City of Chicago. Like DC & NYC, what I truly love about the city along Lake Michigan is the culture. You can find ANYTHING in Chicago when it comes to everything ethnic. Greek, Ethiopian, Cuban, Irish and hundreds of other cultures here offer up the best in their food, festivals , language and a total way of life. It is like being part of a submersion program without traveling too far from Michigan Avenue. One of my favorite foods is certainly Mediterranean & we spent an evening dining on Mediterranean cuisine and taking in the music all night! The only thing missing was the Sea and some Ahava. The night ended with a great cup of Turkish coffee in a relaxing lounge.

Monogrammed Preppy

Last month I talked about my southern monogrammed Preppy friend, Amanda. As you can see, she is the Queen when it comes to personalizing things, including her Jeep! One of the best monogrammers for all of you Prepsters is Electra’s Monograms. Talk about monogram central-Electra provides amazing preppy personalization for your car, cell phone, lamps, candles and even your wall!

Happy Birthday LeAnita

LeAnita is the ultimate Prepster! As my sister, she is also my BEST friend in the entire world!! Aside from our brother (okay & our parents too) she has known me longer than anyone. We do absolutely everything together-kind of scary- and she knows waaaay to much about me, which is why I will always keep her close ;) LeAnita is super fabulous and I have always put her on a pedastal-just like Barbie. She is a former Miss Maryland National Teenager, Miss Maryland Hemisphere and Miss Howard County. In our family she will always be Queen. LeAnita is an amazing jewelry designer  You can check out all of her exquisite gems at her company website, www.leanita.com. She has been featured on FOX News Chicago, Today’s Chicago Woman, and nationally in Redbook. You rock, Lee-Lee. We had a fabulous birthday celebration for “Lee-Lee” (as Cory has famously nicknamed her) and we stayed out until well past 3AM!! Aren’t we all getting a little old for that? HAPPY BIRTHDAY QUEEN LEANITA!!! Love you.